There are more than 1,000 Small Business Development Centers across the United States. They help entrepreneurs launch and grow thousands of businesses every year. They get results, too. The average SBDC client has:

15.5 percent annual job growth, compared to an average 1.9 percent for small businesses nationwide.

4. A directory of business incubators.

Need an honest opinion about your website, your app, or product? Even your Mom or your best friend might not give you the totally unvarnished truth. But a user testing service can.

For a fee (sometimes less than $20 a test), you can get a recorded video of someone using your site. With Peek, you can even get one free. Want a few other options? See Drift’s blog post, “The 7 Best User Testing Tools For Any Budget”

6. A way to validate your market.

Ever had an idea that looked great on paper, but flopped out in the real world? You need proof your idea won’t follow suit. You need to do market validation.

9. A Virtual Assistant.

Not quite ready for your first hire? Get a virtual assistant.

Get a good one, too. I wish I could say $10 an hour assistants were helpful, but I’ve never found that to be true. And you need a business assistant… probably someone with more than appointment-setting skills. So cough up the $15-$25 an hour. Get yourself someone who can actually make basic decisions and think on their own.

Want more small business startup resources? Check out StartUpStash.com. It’s a curated site of hundreds of startup resources.

Conclusion

The long hours and uncertainty of launching a business can make anyone feel alone. But the truth is, the entire country wants you to succeed. There are extensive resources available, many of them free or nearly free. Now you know where to find them.

About the Author(s)

Brian Sutter is the Director of Marketing for Wasp Barcode Technologies, a software company that provides solutions to small businesses that increase profit and efficiency. He has contributed content for Forbes, Entrepreneur, Marketing Profs, the Washington Post, Fast Company, Allbusiness.com, Business.com and Huffington Post.